Highly regarded educator Professor Michael Fullan recently commented on what can be done in the U.S. to raise the profile of the teaching profession. The comments also have relevance to the respect shown to the profession in Australia. “When you look at Finland, Singapore, South Korea and Hong Kong, all of which have high quality…

In the recently released OECD’s Better Life Index 2012 report, Australia took the top spot as one of the world’s happiest countries. The report measured income, housing and life satisfaction to gauge the satisfaction or happiness of people living in these countries. I love the use of life satisfaction. Instead of thinking about work-life balance…

Who is Your BEST Teacher? Is Billy Bloggs your best teacher? You know him, his class is always orderly, the students are on task whenever you walk past, his kids line up quietly before the lesson, he never sends any students to the office, there are never any parental complaints, he cooks the staff breakfast…

John Hattie recently added to the debate about observing teachers and highlighted that ultimately what matters, is what students are doing during the lessons. Hattie rightly points out that much has been said and done about observing the behaviour of the teacher. However the ultimate gauge of the effectiveness of the learning experience should be…

The Fastest Way to Improve Your School The fastest way to improve your school and boost staff, parent and student satisfaction is to identify and address the problems that annoy and frustrate people. One of my biggest frustrations as a Principal were the ‘car park’ conversations that occurred before and after school. At around 8.30…

Are You Getting Enough? I’m not sure whether the headline grabbed your attention because it doesn’t seem to fit with the usual content of this website or it hit a raw nerve! It’s important that we talk about this vitally important issue. Teaching is REALLY demanding. Jobs that work with people can be unpredictable. At…

Lost Opportunity Last week my own children returned to school after the long Christmas break. The start was delayed by a day due to the flooding and storm damage affecting Queensland in the recent weeks. For Sarah and Michael the school year started on Thursday. We joked about how a short week would ease them…

The 0 to 4 age group is paramount for brain development yet many children don’t receive the necessary support during this peak time. The significance of this period on brain development and academic success is clearly documented by Fraser Mustard. Mustard gave voice to three enduring messages: The years before 5 last a lifetime; It…

Teacher quality, followed by Principal quality, are the most important school-level factors influencing student achievement. The research by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) in the report “Effective Principal Effective Schools: A Synthesis of Research Evidence” is not surprising. Schools are PEOPLE places. The teacher is the key school-level factor in student success. Teacher wellness and professional…

The National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) in the United States have recognised the importance of Teacher Wellness initiatives. An article by psychologist and author Adam Sáenz in the latest edition of Principal magazine highlights “Principals play a key role in this crucial—but overlooked—aspect of staff development.” “Kids can’t do their best in school if they…

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This is another AWESOME article. Thanks so much for the practical advice and ideas you offer teachers. Each month I meet with each staff member and get feedback on a range of things. One of them is about Professional Reading. I regularly send articles to them from a range of sources. This month, almost every staff member has said that the things they read and use most are your Happy Schools articles. They particularly liked the “7 Ways to End Your Work Day Feeling Happy and Satisfied”. Thanks so much for your dedication to Happy Schools and for having a positive influence on so many people.